Letters about literature

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in cooperation with affiliate state centers for the book, invites readers in grades 4 through 12 to enter Letters About Literature, a national reading-writing contest. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre-- fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic, explaining how that author’s work changed the student’s way of thinking about the world or themselves.

Letters About Literature will be accepting entries for its next round of competition beginning September 2005. The deadline for submissions to LAL 2005-2006 will be December 1, 2005(on the postmark). State winners will be announced in March 2006, and national winners announced in April 2006.

Visit the Center for the Book’s website or go here for teachers guidelines.

2005 National Book Festival
Saturday, September 24, 2005
National Mall, Washington, DC

The 2005 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by first lady Laura Bush, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rain or shine). The festival is free and open to the public.

“Now in its fifth year, the Libraryís book festival has fast become a national tradition with book lovers from around the country,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “This yearís festival promises to offer an even greater wealth of the nationís creativity.”

The 2004 festival attracted 70 award-winning authors, illustrators, poets and storytellers, and a crowd of more than 85,000. Pavilions at the 2005 National Book Festival will feature authors who write in a wide variety of genres, including “Fiction & Fantasy,” “History & Biography,” “Mysteries & Thrillers,” “Poetry,” “Home & Family,” “Children” and “Teens & Children.” “The Pavilion of the States” represents reading programs and literary events in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. trusts and territories. The popular “Letís Read America” Pavilion will offer reading activities that are fun for the whole family.

Festival goers may bring books, or buy them at the festival, for authors to sign. Children can meet some of their favorite storybook and television characters, who will appear on the festival grounds throughout the day.